Metal vehicle-body.



PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

H. & A. P. SMITH. METAL VEHICLE BODY. APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 1905.

a SHEETSQSHEET 1.

0 S n I; L

P ATENTBD FEB. 27, 1906.

H. & A. P. SMITH. METAL VEHICLE BODY.

H. & A. P. SMITH.

METAL VEHICLE BODY. APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1905.

PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

tain structural improvements in metal-body- UNITED s ragrns PATENT orrrcn.

HINSDALE SMITH AND ARTHUR P. SMITH, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHU- SETTS.

No. siaeco.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27. race.

Application filed M y 22, 1905. Serial No. 261,707.

States of America, residing at Springfieldin the county of Hampden and State of Massachuset'ts, have invented new and useful improvements inMetal Vehicle-Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved metal vehicle-body possessing special utility in connection with the manufacture of vehicles of the automobile type.

To this end the invention contemplates cerconstructions for vehicles which provide for greatly lessening the weight of the body without impairing its strength or rigidity, while at the same time securing a construction and arrangement of parts which greatly facilitates the assembling of the several component members of the structure and also permits of an advantageous disposition of rivets.

It is well known that one of the principal difficulties experienced inthe construction of motor-vehicles is that of the great weight of the body of the vehicle, and it has been the constant aim to lessen such weight without affecting the general rigidity and strength of the body structure. Where this has been attempted in sheet-metal bodies, no material reduction in weight has been secured, for the reason that in these sheet-metal constructions the thin edges of each plate or piece has usually been reinforced by a strip of angle-iron, which greatly adds to the weight of the body. Furfthermore, in the employment of angle-iron reinforce for the thin edges of sheet-metal lates the heads of the rivets are necessarily eft exposed on the outside of the thin metal of the body, and this thin material will always work away from the more rigid angleiron, with the result of causing the varnish or paint to crack, and thus outline the head of the rivet through the finish or in the finish material.

It is therefore one of the special objects of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of using angle-iron reinforcing-strips by providing a construction which permits the elimination of angle-iron reinforces in nearly all places throughout the body structure, thereby saving from seventy-five to one hundred pounds in the weight of the body. While accomplishing this desirable result,the

improved construction is quite as stiff and rigid as that reinforced with angle-iron and at the same time possessing the further distinct advantage that there are no exposed rivet-heads on the outside of'the body. In this particular the improvements contemplated by the present invention provide for the materiallessening of the weight of the body structure without sacrificing strength or rigidity.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide an improved reinforced metal bridge construction beneath the front edges of the seats and likewise an improved reinforced door and door-jamb construction embodying the salient features of the general body construction to carryout the general purpose and design of the invention Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the latter consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts described, illustrated, and claimed.

The essential features of the invention embodied in the structural improvements for carrying out the above objects are necessarily susceptible to modification without departing from the general scope of the inven tion; but a preferred embodiment thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a general skeleton perspective view of a metal vehicle-body embodying the improvements contemplated by the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional perspective view of the door and door-jamb construction. Fig. 3 is a detail cross-sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, illustrating the door-jamb reinforce-strip, so located as to bring its outer edge flush with the outer side of v the body to receive the impact of the closing movement of the door, and thereby protect the metal sheet. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 8, showing a modification of the arrangement of the door-jamb reinforce.

Fig. 5 is a perspective sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, illustrating the reinforced metal bridge construction for the front of the seats. Fig. 6 is a perspective sectional view of one of the rear corners of the body. Figs. 7 and 8 are horizontal sectional views, respec tively, on the lines 7 7 and 8 8 of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view on the line 9 E) of Fig. 6, the direction of the view being indicated by the arrow. Fig. is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a side wall of the body, the plane of section being on the line 10 10 of Flg. 1 and illustratin the interior stiffening-frames usually emp oyed at this part of the body. Fig. 11 is a detail sectional provements in metal-body construction to any form or type of vehicle-body sono spe-" cial change is contemplated in the general outline or configuration of any articular kind of vehicle-body constructed in accordance with the invention. Hence, for illustrative purposes, these improvements are shown in the drawings as adapted to the construction of a sheet-metal body of a conventional form, such as employed in motor-vehicles.

As indicated in the statement of objects, a distinctive feature of the present invention resides in constructing the metal plates forming the body and seats in such a way as to permit the elimination of the usual angle-iron reinforces in nearly all places. Referring particularly to this phase of the invention.

the numeral 1 in the drawings designates the sheet-metal body-plates of the body proper,

which plates preserve the conventional configuration of the vehicle-body and occupy theusual relative positions. In the form of motor-vehicle body shown in the drawings in this application the said body-plates 1 are arranged to form the oppositeside walls of the body proper and also the transverse body members united to the side Walls to provide the necessary transverse bracing, as wellas for the proper support of the seats surmounting the body proper.

Instead of reinforcing the borders or marginal edges of the sheet-metal plates 1 with angle-iron reinforce-strips, as heretofore commonly resorted to, the present invention contemplates forming the metal plates of the body proper along their borders or marginal edges with the continuous inturned stiffening-flanges 2, projecting inwardly from the vertical planes of the body-plates. The inturned stiffening-flanges 2 are preferably ihtegral with the body-plates, from which they are projected inwardly and bent to the lane indicated to provide body-plates whic are quite as stiff along their marginal edges or borders as plates reinforced with angle-iron strips, while at the same time providing a further distinct advantage of dis ensing with the outer exposed rivet-heads, w ich are necessarily employed in connection with thin metal plates reinforced at their bordersby stouter and more rigid angle-iron strips, the objections to] which latter construction have already been pointed out.

While the inturned marginal flanges 2 of the sheet-metal body-plates provide for a stiffening and reinforcing of the marginal borders of such plates, the present invention contemplates an additional reinforcement at this point by forming the plates contiguous to the said marginal flanges 2 with the broad outwardly-convexed reinforce-beads 3. The reinforce-beads of each sheet-metal body-plate are of a concavo-convex shape in cross-section, the same being stamped directly in the sheet-metal plate and paralleling the marginal stiflening-flanges 2 in directly contiguous relation thereto, thus combining with such flanges to produce an exceptionally strong and rigid marginal construction for the bodyplates. At the same time the upper of said inturned marginal stiffening-flanges 2 of the upright body-plates present flat horizontal bases, upon which the superstructure of the vehicle-body can be placed and secured with the greatest facility. 'This marginal or border formation of the sheet-metal body-plates is preserved throughout the entire body construction as far as practicable, thus securing a stiffening and reinforcing effect throughout, which serves to maintain the rigidity and strength of the body, while at the same time providing for materially lightening the same.

At the corners of the body or at the points where a side wall and transverse body member make a right-angle turn in the body con-.

structionand are to be united at their meeting-points the meeting ends of the corresponding marginal stiffening-flanges 2 are arranged in overlapping relation, as plainly illustrated in detail Fig. 6 of the drawings. To provide for maintaining the upper rest-surfaces of the overlapping flanges 2 at the corners in the sameplane,- one of such flanges is preferably depressed or'ofl'set, as indicated at 4, to provide a seat for'receiving therein the correspondingend of the other of said flanges. A

similar construction is preserved where-the edges of the separate sheet-metal body-plates are to be united, as plainly shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 of the drawings, in which figures the edges of the separate body-plates at the corner are shown arranged in overlapping relation with one of the overlapped plate edges, formed with a depressed seat or ofl'set5, receiving the corresponding edge of the other plate and which overlapping edges arelpermanently secured together through the me dium of the ordinary securing-rivets 6. Another feature of the corner construction (shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 of the drawings) resides in the employment of a corner-reinforce plate 7. This corner-reinforce plate 7 is of triangular form, so as .to register in the 1 separate plates.

corner-joint of the body beneath the overlapping ends of'the marginabflanges 2 of the Said flanges and said cornerreinforce plate 7 are permanently connected by securing-rivets 8, passing through said flanges and also through the plate, thus com pleting an exceptionally rigid and strong corher-joint construction, as may be plainly seen from detail Figs. 6 and 9 of the drawings, the latter figure further illustrating the position of the corner-reinforce plate. In further connection with the corner construction just described, and illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9., inclusive, of the drawings, it will be noted that when it is desirable to finish the corner on acurve, as indicated by the bracket and reference-numeral 9 on Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings, the convexed reinforce-beads 3 of the separate united. body-plates will not merge in such amanner as to permit securing them together properly. Hence the said head 3 on one of the plates is terminated 1 short of the joint, as indicated by the reference-number in Figs. 6 and 8 of the drawings, and an extra convexed or half-round finishing-strip 11 is secured on the outer side of the lapping edge of one of the body-plates by means of the securing-rivets 6, previously referredto. This extra finishing strip 11 takes the place of the vertically-disposed beading, which should be formed along this edge of the'plate, and by presenting a rounded outer surface merging into the rounded corresponding surface of the adjacent vertical bead 3 (see Figs. 7 and 8) provides a nicelyrounded corner for the body. The said strip 11' is preferably of brass and will necessarily have the heads of the rivets exposed; but where rivets arepnt through relatively thick metalthe heads will not work loose in the same manner as hereinbefore referredto. In

. connection with the rounded-corner construction just referred to it will of course be understood that the extra finishing-strips 1-1 "are used only on the two perpendicular rear'corners of the body.

' It will of course be understood in order to get the proper bracing or trussing effect, as

well'as to provide for supporting the different parts of the vehicle, there. maybe asso preferable construction employed for that purpose isplainly shown in-Figs. 1 and 10 of the drawings. and consists inarranging within the inner side of, each of said front extensions 12 an. inner filling-board 13, preferably secured at its upper edge beneath and to the 15 arranged 'on top rectly contiguous to suc upper inwardly-projecting marginal flange 2 by means of the fastening-screws 14 and having its lower edge resting on top of and secured to a lower horizontal supporting-strip of the lower marginal flange 2 and held in place through the medium of the fastening -screws 15, passing through said flange, said screws also engaging in the -bottom edge of the filling-board 13, thus firmly uniting these several parts and holding them within the hollow or recessed inner side of the side wall extension. The lower horizontal supporting-strip 15*, arranged on the bottom flange of each front side wall extension, is wider than the fillingboards 13 thereabove t'o rovide an inwardlyprojectin ledge or shel f 16, upon which is supporte .the ends of the floor-board 17 as plainly. shown indetail Fig. 10 of the drawings. This construction may be carried 1 throughout the body-plates constituting the side walls of the body proper to not only provide the requisite stiffness against the vertical or horizontal strains, but also to provide a support for the floor-boards throughout.

In the adaptation of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings to a vehiclebody of the automobile ty e, said body is illustrated as being provide with a plurality of transverse body members, which may be designated by the reference character T, arranged in parallelism and one in advance of the other to secure the necessary cross-bracing for the body. The type of vehicle-body 'illustratedembodies a pair ofindividual front seats 18 and 18*, arranged upon the front transverse seat-support provided therefor, and a single large rear" seat 19 of a length equal to the full width of the vehicle-body and arranged upon the seat-support provided therefor, said rear seat 9 maintaining the usual spaced relation to the front seats 18 and 18*, disposed in advance thereof. The separateindividual front seats 1 8 and 18 and also the singlelarge seat 19 in rear thereof areconstructed from sheet-metal bodies -20," shaped to the conventionalor' desired configuration of. the seat and provided at their marginal edges or borders with conjtinuous inturned stiffening-flanges 21 and diflanges with the continuous outwardly bowed concavo convex reinforce-beads 22. Said elements. 21

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and 22 of the sheet-metal seat-bodies preserve the same relation and the same funcframes 23, which are suitably held inosi1- tion upon the transverse seat-supports o the body proper. The transverse seat-supports for the front and rear seats are referably of the same general nature, so a d scription of one will suffice for the other. Each of these seat-supports essentially.consists of the'opposite side walls of the body and a transversely arranged metal bridge 24. This metal bridge 24 extends across the vehiclebody from one side wall to the other and essentially comprises a horizontal portion 25, underlying the front edge of the seat frame or frames and the opposite end legs 26, depending from the ends of the horizontal portion andabutting against the inner sides of the opposite sheet-metal side walls of the bod proper., The bridge24, embodying the hOIlzontal portion 25 and the end legs 26, essentially consistsof a sheet-metal strip or plate provided at its upper edge with a horizontally-disposed rest-flange 25, constituting a part of the seat-support, and at its lower edge where an angle-iron is indispensable to throug get the proper trussing effect a reinforcing angle-iron strip 28 is secured to and along such edge through the medium of a series of securing-rivets 29. In this construction the angle-iron stri "28 has the vertical flange thereof secured to the outer side of the bridge proper, 24, through the medium o'fthe securing-rivets 29, while the horizontal flange of said strip projects beneath the lower edge of the bridge in parallelism to theupper restflange 25 thereof. It will be observed that in attaching the angle-iron strip 28 to the bridgeplate the heads of the rivets are upset against the rigid angle-ironon the side exposed to view, but under such conditions will not work loose and show. breaks in the finished surface of the bod f In a vehicle of ti ie form illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawin s the, side of the vehicle-body between the ont and rear seats is formed with adoor-o ening 30, within which is arranged to wor a swinging door 31, hinged at one ed e, as at 32, to one side of the openin %i the medium of any suitable t e of hinges; Thedoor'or door-opening is '0 any instances desired configuration according to the variations in design of the vehicle-body, but in all preserves the improvements adapt ed thereto. To carry out the eneral sheetmetal formation of the vehic e-body, the door proper, 31, is constructed of one or more sheet-metal plates or, border ed es with inturned stiffeningflanges 33, inside of which may be arranged the wooden ore uivalent stiffening-frame 34, secured to said flanges by means of screws or equivalent-fasteners 35, thus providing the reinforce flange construction which is involved in the general body formation. The said swinging door 31, constructed as described, is designed to be equipped with a provided at the marginal I suitable latch or look and has fitted to the free edge thereof a stop-strip 36. This stopstrip 36 is preferably of a T shape, having the web 37 thereof secured against the free edge of th door by means of the fasteners 38 and havilf g its cross-head arranged at the outer side of the door to present a stop-shoulder 39, adapted to overlap and abut against the edge of the door-jamb when the door is closed; In connection with the stop-strip 36, carried by the free edge of the door, it will be observed that the door-jamb for said free edge of the door is preferably formed by the front edge of the rear seat-body, which front angle-iron door-j amb reinforce-strip 41 which is arranged over the ed e of the said flange 21, so as to dispose one ange of the strip 41 on the outside of the flan e 21 and bring the said flan e of the strip 41 flush with the outer face or side of the sheet-metal seat body-plate, so that such flange will receive the impact or shock incident to the closing movement of the door and prevent the. stop-strip 36 from hammering onto and indenting the sheetmetal plate, It will be observed that the door-jamb reinforce-strip 41 extends down to the seat-frame 23 of the rear seat and is formed with a horizontal bracing extension 42, which fits over and is secured to the front edge of the seat-frame, thereb affording a brace for the body portion 0 the seat to brace the same against the shock incident to the closing of the door.

An obvious modification of the construction just described resides in arranging a door-j amb reinforce angle-iron strip 41 within the angle formed by the flange 21 at the front edge of the rear seat-body, as plainly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings; but this construction is not so desirable, for the reason that it leaves the outer side of the sheetmetal plate exposed to the hammering of the door-stop. To provide for giving proper finish to the door-opening, the same has arranged about the edge thereof upon the outer ,side of the body a Wooden moldin -piece 43,

which molding-piece extends up t e corners of the body, forming the rear side of the front seat. Also the door-sill or threshold is covered with a threshold-strip 44, of brass, to relieve the thin inturned metal of the body at this point and prevent-its bein broken down, thus distorting the turned-in ange of the sill. This is of course ,important Where a side door is employed.

Another detail of the invention resides in employing angled top-supporting brackets 45'. These brackets are so arranged that their horizontal portions pierce through the metal seat-bodies near .the edges thereof,

while the vertical legs 46 are disposed along the inner sides of such bodies and, rigidly secured thereto by means of the fastenin s 47, said legs being also provided at their ower ends with inturnedfeet 48, secured to the seat-frames. This provides an exceptionsorted to without sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is a 1. A metal vehicle} body having bodyforming plates provided at their marginal borders with integral stiflening-flanges and reinforce-beads contiguous to such flan es. s

2. A metal vehicle-body having odyforming plates provided at their marginal borders with continuous inte ral inturned stiffening-flanges and outwar ly-convexed reinforce-beads contiguous to and following said flanges.

3. A metal vehicle-body having body forming plates provided at their marginal borders with continuous inturned stiffeningflanges, and concavo-convexbeads formed therein in contiguous relation to said flanges. 4. A metal vehicle-body having a body proper and seats constructed of metal plates provided at their marginal borders with continuous inturned stiffening-flan es and outwardly-converted reinforce-bea s formed in the plates in contiguous relation to said flanges. v I

5. A metal vehicle-body having bodyforming plates provided at their marginal borders with inturned stiflening-flanges and reinforce-beads disposed contiguous to and following the flanges, the body-plates and their flanges being united together and bearing an overlapping relation to the cornerjoints.

6. A metal vehicle body having 'bodyforming plates provided at their marginal borders with inturned stiffening-flanges, said plates and their flanges being secured together and bearing anoverlapping relation at the corners of the body, and a cornerreinforcing plate arranged at one side of and secured to the overlapping flanges at the corners.

7. A metal vehicle-body having bodyforming plates provided at their marginal thereto, said plates and their flanges being secured together and bearing an overlapping relation at the corners, and an extra conveXed upright finishing-strip secured along the outer side of each rear corner of the body with its rounded surface merging into the.

corresponding surface of the adjacent upright concavo-convex reinforce-beads to produce an eXteriorly-rounded corner-joint.

8. A metal vehicle-body having body? forming plates provided at their marginal,

borders with inturned stiffening-flanges, and convex reinforce-beads arranged conti none to and following said flanges, said odyplates and their flanges 'being'secured together and bearing an overlapping relation at the-corner-joints, and at such joints one of the body-plates and its flange being formed with a depressed seat or offset for the flanges of the other late.

9. A meta vehicle-body having opposite and secured to the lower flange of the sidewall, said strip being of a greater width than" the board to provide aledge or shelf and the floorin arranged for support onthe ledge or shelf of said stri 10. In a vehicle body, the combination with the body proper and the seat,'of a transversely-arranged seat-support consisting of a transverse body member and atransverselyarranged metal bridge disposed beneath the frame and provided with an inturned flange at its upper edge.

11; In a vehicle-body, the combination with the body proper and the seat, of a seatsupport consisting of a transverse body proper and a transversely arranged metal bridge disposed along the front edge of the seat and provided at its upper edge with an inturned rest-flange and at its lower edge 1 tionwith the-metal body proper and the'seat or seats, of a seat-support comprising a transverse body member and a transversely-arranged metallic bridge disposed beneath the edge of the seat-frame and consisting-of a metal plate having a horizontal portion and terminal end legs, the latter dis osed at the inner sides of the metal body, said bridge being provided at its u per edge with an inturned rest-flange an at its lower edge with a separate reinforcing angle-iron strip.

13. In a metal vehicle-body, the combina tion of the bod proper provided with a door 0 ening and ormed of plates provided at t eir marginal borders with inturned stiflening-flanges, andla door consisting of a metal body or frame provided at the m'argin'al borders thereof with an inturned stiffening- 14. In a metal vehicle-body, the combination with the body proper having a door-open: ing and consistin of metal lates provided at their marginal orders witli inturn'ed stiffening-flanges, one of the flanged edges constituting a door-jamb, an angle-iron doorjamb reinforce-strip secured to the flanged edge constituting the jamb, and a flanged metal door carrying at its free. edge a stop member.

15. In a metal vehicle-body, the combination of a body proper provided with a door- 0 ening and consisting of plates provided at a t eir marginal borders with stiffening-flanges, one of the flanged edges constitutin a door-' j amb, an angle-iron reinforce -str1p fitted over the flanged edge constituting the doorj amb and presenting an abutment edge flush with the outer side of the plate, and a flan ed metal door provided at its free ed e wita T-shaped stop-strip cooperating wit said angle-iron reinforce-strip of the jamb.

16. A metal vehicle-body provided with a door-openin and consistin of plates rovvided at their marginal bor ers with stiiIening-flanges, one of the flanged edges constituting a door-jamb, a reinforcing an le-iron strip fitted over the said flanged edge forming the ,door-jamb and having a horizontal bracing extension secured to a member within the body, and a door arranged to cover said door-o ening 17. n a vehicle-body, the body roper having a door-openin and consisting of borders with stiffening-flanges, a mol ingpiece extending about the edge of the dooroppning at the outer side of the body, a metal t eshold-strip secured to the molding-piece at the sill of the door-opening, and a metal door arranged to cover the door-opening.

18. In a vehicle-body, the combination with the metal body portion, ofan angled to supporting bracket piercing the metal bo y near an edge thereof and havin a leg secured to the inner side of the meta body and formed at its lower end with the footsecured to a member within the bod HIN SD LE SMITH.

, I ARTHUR P. SMITH. Witnesses:

M WM, H. CHAPIN, G. V. FORBES.

body'' forming plates provided at their mar inal- 

